MINUTES OF THE NAPIER AMATEUR RADIO CLUB
Meeting on Wednesday 1February 2017 at the Clubrooms 123 Latham Street
Chair: Dave ZL2MQ, the meeting started at 7:30 pm.
Present: Revell ZL2SS, Dave ZL2DW, Blue ZL3TT, Stan ZL2ST, Mike ZL2VM, Paul ZL2HB, Michael ZL2MY, Errol ZL2IT and Karl ZL1TJ.
Apologies: ZL2MO, ZL2XC and ZL2US.
Minutes of previous meeting: Read and confirmed to be correct: ZL2ST, ZL2MQ.
Arising: The RSM database has been amended with current information. Contacts are now the secretary and treasurer. ZL2MQ: the bank account signatories will be updated this Friday.
Correspondence: Via Dave ZL2DW, an email from David Travener who operates the VK4ICE website, offering to include any ZL events on the VK4ICE bulletin board. Email correspondence with Laurie regarding the 2m beacon frequency. The NZART ELG response to his request for a more suitable beacon frequency.
A comment from Laurie regarding an item in the minutes of the January 17 committee meeting: should the term ‘Amateur Radio operator’ be replaced with something like ‘Radio Scientist’?
Finance: Some further subscriptions paid. No other transactions to report.
General Business: The 2m beacon frequency saga: Dave 2MQ to delve into the ELG response sent to Laurie, decide on the next step and communication to be forwarded to ELG.
On the ‘Amateur radio’ label: Laurie’s comment that the proposal has been discussed at various levels over the last 20 years or so, with no positive result, was discussed. Dave ZL2DW suggested it is brought up in general business at the forthcoming NZART conference. Branch 13 would most likely support this. Mike ZL2VM offered to contact Douglas Birt ZL1BFS, who triggered the discussion in an article in the Nov/Dec 2016 issue of Break-In magazine (p.30).
The VK4ICE notice board: Karl suggested a decision was made regarding a third Hawke’s Bay Hamfest. As a bi-annual project, this would need to be held April 2018. The proposal was supported by all present. A tentative listing on www.VK4ICE.com/hamfests to be made.
Clubrooms exterior upgrade: decided at the recent committee meeting, the second paint coat is now overdue. A joint effort by all available (un-employed) members is scheduled for Thursday February 23. Paul ZL2HB’s offer to give the weatherboards a wash with his water blaster the day before was gratefully accepted.
The tribander and mast project: No further communication received from engineer John Foote regarding the mast job. Dave ZL2MQ has an acquaintance who may be interested in doing this.
Blue ZL3TT has the use of welding facilities at his workplace and offered to take some measurements and check the availability of steel left-overs to make up the mast support pipe and wall bracket as designed by Laurie ZL2TC.
Other short general business items:
Dave 2MQ: do we need a history of club projects page in the NARC website?
Karl 1TJ: I am minimally maintaining the website by default. A dedicated web master is needed.
Mike 2VM: the Menz Shed next door is now open every Tuesday or Thursday, should we try having someone at the clubrooms at the same time to test possible interest? Mike to give this a go.
Dave 2MQ: the new beacons are now working power output 5mW, CW format.
Dave 2DW: from the Gipsland Radio Club (Aus) Newsletter: WIA seems to be in disarray.
Blue 3TT: Branch 13 and Branch 25 members are invited to visit his workplace ‘Weldwell’, Thames Street Ahuriri on March 22, Time 7:30 pm. Static display only. Sturdy footwear required.
Dave 2DW: A Branch 13 visit to the Avalon Rescue Control Centre and the Colonial Knob (Amateur) Radio site is scheduled for March 25.
Napier ARC members are welcome to join.
Blue 3TT: The Taupo Monday night net (8pm) is well supported. The Taupo 675 repeater covers parts of Rotorua and Waikato and is linked to our 725 repeater.
Dave 2DW: The local IRLP node on the 725 repeater is up and running again and working well.
Stan 2ST: the local contest group is considering taking part in the Jock White Field day contest to be held at Tait’s farm, Tongoio, on 25 and 26 February. All welcome to join or just have a peek at how it is done.
The meeting closed 8:35 pm
and was followed by Errol ZL2IT presenting an overview of his most recent projects.
An impressive collection of experimental and practical devices, mostly to do with antennas and antenna control.
All and any information can now be found on the Internet using the Google or similar search engine.
Also components, circuit boards etc. can be obtained from all over the world often for little money.
Several of Errol’s devices use the Picaxe micro controller, a one chip computer that can be programmed in the ‘good old’ Basic computer language which is simple and easy to learn.
The presentation by way of a power-point slideshow was professional and very interesting.
Karl ZL1TJ Sec. NARC.